Nanny Falls Asleep while watching kids

[Anonymous]

I am working from home today. I ran upstairs to take DS2 to the doctor, and our nanny was a sleep on the couch. I waited for a minute or two before calling her name and waking her. She made up an excuse that her contact was out of place....but she was clearly asleep. This happened while I was home...who knows what happens when I"m not.

How would you deal with this? Warning? Let her go? She's only with us until the end of June.

[Anonymous]

The fact that she did it while she knew you were home says she is either waaay too comfortable and doesn't take you seriously, or its a medical issue that she can't help but still needs to be addressed. If your children are old enough can you ask them if its happened before? It's a safety issue, so I don't think I could trust her with my kids.

[Anonymous]

Time for a nanny cam.

[Anonymous]

It wasn't completely clear from your original post, were your kids napping or no? If they were napping it would make somewhat of a difference to me - it would be cause for a conversaion about expectations. If they weren't I'd let her go. I just couldn't trust her.

[Anonymous]

My nanny naps while the kids sleep. I'm not thrilled about it but I trust her. Were the kids sleeping? If not, I'd have a serious convo. It may be a medical issue or some problem at home. I'm pregnant and even I can't fall asleep with kids awake - they're too loud!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Time for a nanny cam.

This. Why bother doing your homework, checking references, doing several home visits before hiring, reading resumes and using your brain when you can just hire someone off the street and throw some bucks at a camera?

[Anonymous]

Maybe your kids are boring.

[Anonymous]

My nanny has fallen asleep on the job, but for a reason -- she let my infant son sleep on her when she wanted to be held and she napped while he did. She also tells me that she does this, so I would be able to tell her I was uncomfortable if that were true.

I think it's time for a frank talk with your nanny about napping. You don't necessarily need to make it confrontational -- just say, that it would be ok to nap while your kid(s) are (both, all) napping, but otherwise while she doesn't need to be actively engaged, she does need to be supervising in some capacity, and that is just impossible while she is sleeping.

I think her reaction to this (ie apologetic, standoffish, etc.) will tell you whether you can continue to trust her, and therefore whether you will still be comfortable employing her.

[Anonymous]

I think nannies should never sleep on the job. It's a safety issue. I'd give her a warning, OP, and if it happens again it will be grounds for termination.

If you want a nanny cam to help you enforce this, go ahead, but tell her it's there.

She may quit, but that might be the right thing for your family.

[Anonymous]

I'd she was asleep s why would she have woken up right then? That doesn't make sense. You've never laid still for 5 min? I used to wear contacts and they made me crazy so I could see that scenario being plausible.

[Anonymous]

Was the child sleeping? That makes a big difference.

[Anonymous]

If I'm not feeling well, I nap when my charges are sleeping. My employer knows about it and encourages it.

I can't imagine falling asleep with charges awake. How is that even possible?

[Anonymous]

OP has never returned. Were the kids sleeping? Was the nanny sick?

[Anonymous]

op here. I had a talk with her...telling her that she either needed to get more sleep or drink more coffee....as falling alseep on the job was not ok with me. to answer the questions....yes the kids (3&4) where awake and playing in front of her on the floor when this happened.

if it happens again, I will not be able to keep her.

[Anonymous]

WOW, that is crazy! Did she give a reason for falling asleep? Even when sick with napping babies, I could never fall asleep on the job. That is not safe. I am a nanny and I am quite surprised that you are keeping her. That is just so scary.